We'll Rebuild Our World
by J.J. Smith
Summary: "What's the last thing you remember?"  "I remember I left Breadstix after you told me you just wanted to be friends."
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **We'll rebuild our world.  
><strong>Author: <strong>J.J. Smith (pirateof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Beta: <strong>my lovely Dalek sister (residentof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Pairing: <strong>Kurtofsky  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>Season 3 up to OMW  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Not mine, or Glee would have more continuity and a lot more Dave.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_"What's the last thing you remember?"  
>"I remember I left Breadstix after you told me you just wanted to be friends."<em>  
><strong>AN:** Sorry I haven't updated _Philip Dawson_ yet; OMW hit me hard and I haven't really been able to write the happy, fluffy Kurtofsky I need for the second part of that. Instead, I wrote this. I hope you enjoy it!

**We'll rebuild our world.**

**Chapter 1**

Kurt is panicking. He can't believe this is happening. Dave, his Dave, his wonderful husband, might never wake up. Just because one idiot decided it was a good idea to drive home while drunk. The idiot had walked away without a scratch on him, but Dave hadn't been that lucky. A punctured lung, broken leg and dislocated shoulder were the least of his worries. There was a lot of swelling in his brain. The doctors had kept him in a medically induced coma for a week, waiting for the swelling to go down. 2 months have passed since that week and Dave hasn't woken up yet.

Kurt can hardly focus on his job, or anything, really; the conversation he had had with Dave's doctor was too clear in his head. "We need to discuss your options, Mr. Hummel-Karofsky." "Your husband's situation hasn't shown any progress." "You might consider taking him off the machines."

Kurt has seen enough medical dramas to know that it might come to that, but he can't get himself to seriously consider it. He isn't ready to say goodbye to Dave; he'll never be ready for that. He comes to the hospital every day before and after work. He hasn't eaten dinner outside of the hospital for two months. When midnight rolls around, he peels himself away from his husband and goes home to sleep. He'd rather stay with Dave all day and night long, but he has a job, and he needs sleep, a shower and clean clothes.

It's late at night, Kurt has to leave soon, and he finally says the words he's been dreading out loud. "I might have to let you go." He squeezes Dave hand harder than he would if Dave were awake, as if the pain would wake him up. By now, Kurt's desperate enough to do anything to get his husband to wake up. "You really need to wake up, David, and soon. Or…" Kurt chokes back a sob. "I don't want to bury you, David. I don't know if I can. Please don't make me a widower at 28."

Kurt holds Dave hands for another hour before he leaves for home. Kurt doesn't know how much longer he can keep doing this. Maybe it really is better to let go, not just for Dave but for himself as well. Kurt has trouble falling asleep that night, and thoughts of a future without Dave plague his dreams when he finally does.

He's awoken by the shrill sounds of his phone. He answers groggily, still half asleep.

"Mr. Hummel-Karofsky, this is Doctor Yancy."

Kurt shoots up, wide awake.

"Your husband woke up."

"I'm on my way." Kurt doesn't trust himself to drive to the hospital and calls a cab. He can't find his socks fast enough and opts to forgo them. He's dressed in record time and waits outside for the cab. Kurt's tapping his foot impatiently; he needs to see his husband.

Kurt cannot remember the car-ride to the hospital. He can barely remember running through the corridors to Dave's room. He's out of breath when he reaches Dave's room.

"David!" Kurt exclaims. His husband is sitting upright, his eyes open, answering some questions the doctor's asking.

"Kurt?" Dave looks confused. "Why are you here?"

"-K… Eh, could I speak with you outside for a bit?" Doctor Yancy asks before ushering Kurt outside.

"Why did you just call me -K? Why didn't you finish my name? Why did David look so surprised to see me?" Kurt rambles.

"I'm very sorry, but it seems your husband has lost his memory of the last ten years. We need to run some more tests to see whether or not this is permanent, but I can tell you that in most cases the patient's memory comes back eventually. Try not to panic; your husband needs you right now."

"Okay." Kurt takes a few deep breaths. "What do I do?" He tries, and fails, to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Your husband has some questions that I can't answer, about his personal life. Please try to not tell him anything too shocking just yet; he only just woke up. It might be best to lie about some things, or withhold the truth for now."

"Are you telling me I shouldn't tell David we're married?"

"Not yet. I understand that this is difficult for you, but I'm only trying to act in your husband's best interest."

"I understand. Nothing big. I can do that. I'd like to see my husband now, if that's okay."

"Of course. I'm going to order some tests for your husband; I'll be back in about an hour."

Kurt takes a few seconds to prepare himself mentally before walking into Dave's room again.

"I'm sorry; I hope I didn't offend you or anything. I just… I didn't expect to see you here," Dave apologizes.

"It's okay." Kurt grabs a chair and sits down next to Dave's bed. "The doctor just told me you don't remember the last ten years. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember I left Breadstix after you told me you just wanted to be friends."

"Oh… okay." Kurt understands now why Dave is confused he's there. They didn't become friends until a few weeks after that day.

"So, I guess we became friends?"

"I consider you to be my best friend," Kurt answers with a smile. It isn't even a lie; Dave is his best friend, but he's also so much more.

"Oh, that's cool." Dave hesitates a bit before he asks the next question. "Where's my dad?"

"Eh…" Kurt doesn't really know how to answer that. Doctor Yancy told him not to give Dave any shocking news.

"That guy who saw us tonight, I mean, ten years ago, did he out me? Is that why my dad isn't here?"

"No! That's not why. I promise that's not why he isn't here. Your dad… When he found out that you're gay, he supported you. It was a bit awkward at first, but he never stopped loving you. He… I'm not supposed to give you any shocking news, so I can't tell you why he isn't here."

"He's dead," Dave says.

"Yes. I'm sorry. He died three years ago," Kurt explains. "He loved you so much."

"How..." Dave's voice cracks.

"He had a brain tumor. He didn't suffer and he wasn't alone."

"Fuck." Dave angrily wipes away his tears. "Why can't I remember?"

"David." Kurt grabs Dave's hand tightly in his own. "It's okay to cry. I'm here for you, David."

"My dad's... I don't know how to deal with this," Dave admits.

"We'll deal with it together, just like we did three years ago." Kurt squeezes Dave's hand. "Don't be ashamed to cry in front of me."

"Kurt..."

"It's going to be okay. I'm here for you." Kurt tries to smile up at his husband, but it's getting harder and harder. This isn't his husband; this is an eighteen-year-old boy who had just lost his father and Kurt doesn't know how to deal with that.

Both Dave and Kurt don't speak for the rest of the hour. Kurt holds Dave's hand as Dave doctor Yancy returns, he tells Kurt to go home so they can both get some rest. Kurt promises Dave he'll come back later that day. He doesn't want to leave, but he knows Dave needs his rest and if he stays in the hospital, he won't be able to leave Dave alone.

Kurt doesn't sleep; he's too excited to have Dave back in his life.

At seven, Kurt calls the school to tell them he won't be coming in today to stay with his husband. Next, he calls his father. Burt doesn't answer the phone, so Kurt leaves him a message.

"David woke up! Dad, he's alive. I spoke to him a few hours ago. He's resting now and I'm going to see him again later today, but... he has lost his memory. He doesn't remember anything from the last ten years. Dad, I don't really know how to deal with this. He's there, alive and awake, but it's not really him. Anyway... Call me when you get this. I love you!" Kurt tries to get a few hours of sleep in. He'd rather go back to the hospital, but he knows Dave needs his rest, and it wouldn't hurt for him to get in a bit of sleep as well.

Kurt falls asleep reasonably fast and wakes up feeling refreshed three hours later. He takes a shower, gets dressed, grabs a few photo books and leaves for the hospital. He's anxious to see Dave again. When Kurt finally enters the room, he sees Dave's sitting upright eating hospital food.

"Hey," Kurt greets him. "How are you feeling?"

"Doctor Yancy told me that I'll probably get all my memories back."

"That's great." Kurt sits down next to Dave again. "I'm so happy to see you awake."

"The nurses told me my situation was pretty bad."

"It was. There was talk about... pulling the plug," Kurt whispers the last words.

"I'm glad they didn't," Dave replies. "Eh... have you eaten yet?"

"No. I forgot." Kurt realizes. "I should get some from the cafeteria."

"Or we could share? I'm not that hungry yet."

"I'll take your pudding," Kurt says.

"I hate pudding."

"I know," Kurt replies.

"So, you and Blaine got married?" Dave asks, trying to sound nonchalant.

"What? Where did you get that idea?"

"Your wedding band." Dave points towards Kurt's finger. "Or is that just a normal ring and did I just make a fool of myself?"

"Oh. Eh, it's my wedding ring, yes, but I didn't marry Blaine." Kurt can almost feel Dave's ring burn in his pocket.

"I'm sorry. It's been ten years. You probably met someone else. Tell me about him."

"He's the best man I've ever known." Kurt can't get himself to tell Dave anymore. It hurts that Dave doesn't remember that they're married, but he knows it's not his fault.

"He'd better be treating you right," Dave jokes, but Kurt can hear the hurt in his voice. If Valentine's is the last thing he remembers, it must hurt to think that Kurt is with someone else right now. He isn't sure whether he should tell Dave the truth yet; he should probably talk to the doctor first.

"He treats me like a king," Kurt says. "I think I'm going to see if I can find doctor Yancy; I have some questions for him. Will you be okay?"

"Of course. If I need anything, I can always ask a nurse."

"I'll be back soon." Kurt squeezes Dave's hand one more time before he leaves the room. It doesn´t take Kurt long to find doctor Yancy. The man confirms what Dave has just told him. Dave is in excellent condition. His memory will most likely return completely. Dave should be ready to go home in a few days. Kurt asks him whether or not he should tell Dave they´re married; doctor Yancy tells Kurt that Dave'll find out one way or another, so Kurt might as well tell him. It might also help Dave remember. Anything could unlock his memories. He encourages Kurt to go through old photos with Dave.

When Kurt enters the room again, he sees that Dave has been crying. He forgot that Dave has just lost his dad again. The Dave he knew had come to terms with his father's death years ago, while this Dave doesn't even remember what happened.

"I'm back," Kurt says. "Doctor Yancy says you can go home in a few days. That's good news, right?"

"Yeah."

"Eh, about my husband."

"Look, I don't need to know. Obviously, we're good friends here, but I'm still at the point I was ten years ago. I don't know if you remember, but I was in love with you back then."

"Oh, I remember, David, and I think you need to know."

"I don't know if I can handle being hurt right now," Dave whispers.

"David, this won't hurt you. I didn't marry Blaine, or some guy I met in the last ten years. I married my best friend."

"I thought I was your best friend." Dave sounds confused again.

"You are."

"But..."

"David, I love you." Kurt grabs Dave's hand for support. "I know this is a lot to handle, but you need to know. I love you more than anyone else on this planet. You're my best friend and so much more." Dave is crying now, but Kurt doesn't stop. "You're my soulmate. I nearly lost you, David, and I finally have you back. I'm not letting you go again."

"You love me?" Dave asks, his voice small.

"Yes," Kurt answers. "I'll never stop loving you, even if you can't remember that I love you. I'll tell you everyday to remind you."

"This is a lot to handle."

"I know. I'm sorry, I wish I could make this any easier on you."

"I... I really married the guy I've been in love with for as long as I can remember?"

"Yes." Kurt laughs; he remembers Dave telling him how long he'd harboured feelings for Kurt before he confessed. "You finally got me."

"Can you tell me about us?"

"Of course. It's my favorite story to tell." Kurt can't stop smiling. This man might not be his 28 year old husband but he still loves him. "I broke up with Blaine after... a few weeks after Valentine's." Kurt doesn't want to tell Dave about the events that jump-started their friendship, Dave's absolute lowest point. He's not sure Dave could handle that. "We became really good friends. We both went to NYU that fall and we shared a room. We were always very touchy-feely; our friends and families were placing bets on when we'd get together. There was always this unspoken promise of someday, when we were both ready, someday we'd start dating. When we were twenty, we were at this party; you had a bit too much to drink, and you kissed me. That's when we started dating. We couldn't pretend we weren't madly in love anymore. It fell into place so easily.

"When your father was diagnosed, he told us that he'd always wanted to see us get married. We weren't planning on getting married for a couple of years, but I knew how important it was for you that your dad was there, so I proposed.

"We got married on Valentine's day, the anniversary of when you confessed to me. I'll show you pictures later. It was beautiful."

"Why can't I remember it?" Dave said through is tears. "My dreams came true and I can't even remember it."

"Hey, please don't cry or I'll start crying as well, and we'll never be able to stop. You'll remember. I promise you will."

"What if I never will?"

"We'll make new memories.

"But..."

"No. No buts," Kurt interrupts. "Twelve hours ago I was thinking about what a life without you would be like. Now you're sitting up and talking to me. I really don't care about your memories right now; I'm just so happy you're alive."

"Me too."

"I really want to hug you. Is that okay?" Kurt asks.

"Of course it is."

Kurt climbs on the bed with Dave. This will be the first time he'll touch more than his husband's hand in two months. It takes all of his self-control not to cling to Dave like there's no tomorrow, shower him in kisses and never let go. But this Dave isn't even his friend yet; this Dave hardly knows him. He needs to take things slow. "I'm probably going to cry soon, don't be alarmed," Kurt warns Dave. It feels natural, curling up to Dave; he's done it so often. Something's off, though. Dave doesn't quite know what to do with his hands. "I love you," Kurt whispers into Dave's chest.

"Why do you love me?" Dave asks. "The last time I spoke to you..."

"I didn't know you back then. Once I got to know you it was impossible not to love you. You're kind, funny and smart, and let's not forget incredibly handsome."

"Handsome?"

"Yes, and sexy." Kurt grins into Dave's chest. He remembers how insecure Dave used to be about his body; he used to be the same. "You might not see it, but I do."

Dave relaxes after a few minutes of cuddling. Kurt hasn't felt this safe in months. They're rudely interrupted by Kurt's cell phone.

"I should get that." Kurt reluctantly gets up from Dave's embrace. "It's my dad," Kurt says before answering the phone. "Hey."

"Hey, kiddo, I just got your message. How's Dave?"

"He's doing great. The doctor says he'll be able to come home in a few days." Kurt gets settled on the chair again. He misses Dave's warmth.

"And his memory?"

"It will probably return," Kurt answers.

"Do you want me to fly out there?" Burt asks.

"Not just yet. Dave doesn't really know you; I think it would be best if he got settled first." Kurt wants his father to visit; he wants some help with dealing with Dave's memory loss. He also needs to consider Dave. Dave doesn't know Burt as anything other than the guy who dislikes him for hurting his son.

"If you want your dad here, you can invite him," Dave says.

"I..." Kurt tries to argue with Dave, but his father interrupts him.

"Did I just hear Dave?" Burt asks.

"Yeah, he's here."

"Kid, I understand that you want to do what's best for Dave, but you have to think about yourself as well. Do you want me to be there for you?"

"Yes. Please come, dad," Kurt answers.

"I'll be there in a day or two. I'll leave you alone for now and let you spend some time with Dave. Tell him I'm glad he's going to be okay."

"Thank you, dad, I love you."

"Love you too."

Kurt sighs deeply. He tries so hard not to think too much about anything long-term, instead focusing on the fact that Dave's alive, but it's hard. He doesn't know what's going to happen when he takes Dave home. He doesn't know when Dave will remember everything, or even if he will. It's a lot, and Kurt knows that once he starts thinking about it he'll break and that's the last thing he needs to do.

"Are you okay?" Dave asks hesitantly.

"Yeah." Kurt clears his head and focuses on Dave. "My dad said he's glad you're going to be okay. And he'll come over in a day or two."

"Cool."

"David, I… God, I don't even know what I want to say. It's so hard to believe this is really happening." Kurt grabs David's hand again, like he has done so many times these past two months. There is one difference, though; Dave squeezes back.

"I get it. There are so many things I want to ask you, but I don't know where to start," Dave admits. "I don't even know what I do for a living."

"You're a writer," Kurt explains. "You used to be a sports agent, like you told me you wanted to be in high school. You got a job offer after college in Cleveland and we moved here. You felt guilty about taking me out of New York, but I didn't mind in the slightest. I love New York, but I couldn't imagine living there for the rest of our lives. I fell for Cleveland immediately.

"You didn't tell me you wrote until after we moved here. I asked if I could read your work and you reluctantly agreed. You were good; you still are. You told me you really wanted to be a writer when you were in your teens, but you didn't think you were good enough, so you went with your second choice. I pushed you to try and get published and it worked. You just published your fifth book.

"You quit your job as a sports agent after the second book to focus on writing. You changed our basement into your own personal library."

Dave looks happier and happier, the more Kurt tells him.

"You're becoming quite famous, actually. You have fans. You are loved by a lot of people."

These words bring actual tears to Dave's eyes. Kurt can't imagine what it must be like for Dave to hear this. The eighteen-year-old Dave barely has any friends, and now there are complete strangers that love him for his books. It must be so overwhelming.

"You are so talented, David. I am so proud to be your husband.

"I always imagined that I would grow up to be some big star and I'd have a beautiful partner to walk with me down the red carpet. That used to be my dream. Now I'm the husband who can brag to his friends about his talented husband and I love it."

"You're not a star?" Dave asks.

"No." Kurt chuckles. "You probably won't believe me when I tell you what I do, but I'll tell you anyway. I teach preschool."

Dave can't suppress his laughter. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," Dave apologizes.

"It's okay. You laughed when I told you I wanted to be a teacher the first time, so I wasn't expecting this time to be different."

"It's really hard to imagine you as a teacher," Dave admits through his laughter.

"It's certainly not what I ever envisioned for myself. I was a music major at NYU. One of our neighbors was a teacher and I gave a music lesson to her class for a project. I immediately fell in love with teaching. You laughed at me when I told you, just like you are now. You said that you couldn't imagine what I'd do if one of the kids spilled paint on my clothes. Luckily, I'm very stubborn and I went ahead with it anyway.

"I love my job and I love my kids. It's amazing. Plus, I get long vacations so I can travel with my gorgeous husband."

Dave flushes at the compliment.

"We're the couple people are jealous of." Kurt's bragging now, but he couldn't care less. He wants Dave to know how wonderful their life together is, how happy he is, how happy they both are. "We don't have children, and we don't want them. Don't bother objecting; I know you still think you want children, but trust me, you don't." Kurt says before Dave even has a chance to open his mouth. "Rachel and Finn had a daughter in college; we used to babysit for them a lot and we hated it. It was alright to have her over for an hour or two, but if we had her any longer we both went insane. We made a pact to never have kids, and we still think the same thing."

"But, you teach preschool," Dave interjects.

"Yes, I do. I love spending time with those kids and teaching them things, but I cannot imagine having a kid 24/7," Kurt explains.

"I really make you happy?" Dave asks like he can't believe it.

"You make me the happiest man in the world." Kurt is crying as well now.

"Kurt…"

"Listen, I remember you at eighteen so well. I know how you feel about yourself and I need you to know that you're amazing. I want to tell you what happened after Valentine's Day, but I'm not completely sure I should. It isn't a happy story. I think you deserve to know, but it's your decision. It's okay if you'd rather wait."

"I want to know. I've loved hearing all these stories about me and us, and I know it hasn't all been good. I want to know everything. I know you can't tell me every little thing that happened, but I want to know the most important things that happened in my life. If it's too much, I'll tell you to stop, okay?"

"Sure. And if you have any question, just ask. I want to tell you as much as I can," Kurt says. "So, Valentine's Day, that was intense. You were the first guy who ever went through that much trouble to give me a happy Valentine's Day. But, like I told you, I was with Blaine at the time. And then there was that guy who saw us. He outed you at school. It was bad, really bad. You called me and I didn't answer. I regret not answering any of your calls to this day.

"You told your parents because you had to. Your dad accepted you, but your mom…" Kurt takes a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't accept you. Things at school were really bad and you tried to… you tried to kill yourself." Kurt isn't looking at Dave now, he can't tell this story while looking at Dave. "Your dad found you just in time.

"I came to visit you in the hospital; that's when our friendship started. I came to your house every Sunday after that. I didn't want you to be alone, and you were surprisingly easy to be around. Plus, you had an amazing DVD collection." Kurt is pleased to get a little chuckle out of Dave at that. "We used to curl up on your bed and watch movies together. When I broke up with Blaine you bought me ice cream and offered to watch 'crappy chick flicks' with me. I told you I'd rather watch something a bit more violent. We decided on Jurassic Park because one of those guys looks a lot like one of Rachel's dads, and we shared the ice cream. That was also the day you told me you got into NYU, and we decided to become roommates, because there was no way in hell I was going to live in the same space as Finn and Rachel while they were trying to not let their marriage crash and burn."

"Did they get married right out of high school or something?" Dave asks.

"No, they got married _in_ high school. I don't know how they did it, but they managed to make it work. They're still married with 2 kids, Barbra and Natasha. Let me warn you; those girls are spoiled brats. We're their uncles, so we're supposed to love them, but they are impossible to be around for any substantial amount of time."

"I kind of figured they would be, since Rachel is their mom."

"Yeah, they definitely take after her." Kurt glances up and is surprised to see Dave is smiling a bit. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I've been better. I knew my mom wouldn't be okay with me being gay. It's still not nice to hear, but I was expecting it. None of it is really a surprise. I'm glad you were there for me afterwards."

"I'm really sorry I didn't answer your calls. I was so confused at the time. I didn't know if I wanted to continue with Blaine or go out with you. I didn't know you'd been outed or I would have answered, hell, I would have called you myself to give you support."

"Hey, I'm not mad. Right now I can't remember what happened, but I'm sure that if I did remember I wouldn't be mad either."

"I know, you've been telling me for years. I'm still sorry."

"Let's change the subject," Dave said. "Eh... I don't really know what to ask. Doctor Yancy said it might be a good idea to look at photos."

"Oh! I brought an album. I completely forgot." Kurt retrieves his abandoned bag and pulls out a photo album. "I made this when we attended NYU." Kurt tried to move his chair so he could look at the album with Dave. "What's the best way to do this?"

"You could get on the bed with me?" Dave suggested.

"If you don't mind."

"I don't."

"Good!" Kurt abandoned his chair immediately and climbed on the bed. "Put your arm around me, it'll make it easier." Kurt settles against Dave's chest easily. He opens the book to the first page and begins telling Dave the stories behind the pictures. Dave listens intently, asks a few questions and laughs with Kurt when he tells the story of the spoon incident. The longer Kurt keeps talking, the more Dave relaxes. When Dave lets out a yawn, Kurt closes the book.

"You should get some rest. It's been a long day for you."

"I've been sleeping for two months. And it's not even close to night yet," Dave complains.

"You need your rest. And I should go by the school and make some arrangements for the coming weeks." Kurt gracefully slips out of Dave's grasp and leaves the bed.

"No, you were warm. Now I'm cold." Dave pouts.

"Aw, you're so cute." Kurt bends down to place a small kiss on Dave's forehead. "I should really do the responsible thing here and go. Is it okay if I come back tonight?"

"Yes," Dave answers, already slowly falling asleep. He must be even more tired than Kurt suspected.

"I'll see you later." Kurt leaves the photo album on Dave's nightstand, grabs his bag and exits the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **We'll rebuild our world.  
><strong>Author: <strong>J.J. Smith (pirateof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Beta: <strong>my lovely Dalek sister (residentof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Pairing: <strong>Kurtofsky  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance (and a bit of angst)  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>Season 3 up to OMW  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Not mine, or Glee would have more continuity and a lot more Dave.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_"What's the last thing you remember?"  
>"I remember I left Breadstix after you told me you just wanted to be friends."<em>  
><strong>AN: **One year ago today I became a pirate. Have an update in celebration of that event!

**Chapter 2**

When he wakes up, it takes Dave a second to remember where he is. He's in the hospital, he was in a car accident which put him in a coma for two months, and now he can't remember the last ten years of his life. Dave wants to look for his father, but then he remembers that his father died. The thought scares him more than any of the other things that are happening to him. His father had always been there for him; even when he'd gone through that horrible time at McKinley, his father had still loved him. He'd never been in the hospital without his dad before, and now...

Dave forces himself not to think about it. He can't have a breakdown now; he's a grown man. In his attempt to get his mind off of his dad, he sees the photo album. Kurt.

He's married to Kurt Hummel. Dave can't put into words how happy that makes him. Kurt's rejection is still so clear in his head that it's almost impossible to accept that Kurt actually loves him now, and not just as friends. It's also scary beyond believe. Kurt is married to the future him, a Dave who's out and proud. He's not that man; he's just a boy.

"David?" Kurt asks.

Dave was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't even noticed Kurt entering the room. He quickly composes himself, hoping that Kurt doesn't notice the little breakdown he just had. "Hey, you're back."

"You don't have to pretend around me," Kurt says. "I understand that this is hard for you. I'm here for you to lean on. I know that you're not used to me supporting you in this way yet, but you need to know that I'm here for you. No matter what."

Dave doesn't know what to do. He wants someone to hold him, comfort him and tell him that he's going to be fine, but he doesn't know if he wants Kurt to be that person. He doesn't know if he can be so weak in front of Kurt again. It was just yesterday that he made himself vulnerable in front of Kurt by confessing his feelings, only it wasn't yesterday; it was ten years ago.

"Or do you need some time alone?" Kurt suggests. "That's okay as well."

Dave can see in Kurt's face that he doesn't want to leave again, and he can't get himself to tell Kurt to leave. "No, you don't need to go. I... I don't know what I need."

"Take your time." Kurt sits down in the chair by Dave's bed. "I'll be here if you need me."

"I guess I've just been trying to put everything you told me in order. It's quite a lot to deal with," Dave admits.

"We could go over it together?" Kurt suggests. "You can tell me what you remember and I'll correct you if you're wrong."

"That could work," Dave says. "Okay, I'm just going to start at the beginning and try to go chronologically.

"Nick outed me at school and I had to come out to my parents. I was bullied and I tried to kill myself." Dave keeps his summary impersonal. He doesn't want to get caught up in emotions. "I... how did I try?" he asks.

"Uh, do you really want to know?" Kurt asks.

"Yes. I've thought about _that_ before, but I could never imagine how I'd do it. I want to know how I tried."

"You... you hung yourself." Kurt's voice breaks. "You used a belt."

Dave reaches for his throat; he can almost feel the leather pressing on his windpipe. "Thank you," he whispers. They sit in silence for a minute or two before Dave continues. "We became friends then, and we decided to be roommates the next year and we moved to New York together.

"We started dating when we were 20 years old. A year later, your niece, Barbra, was born. We babysat a lot back then and we developed our shared dislike for having kids of our own."

"Oh, God, don't remind me. She was absolutely impossible. And neither of us had the heart to say no to Rachel and Finn. Well, I didn't have the heart to say no; Rachel just scared you too much to say no to her."

"She is really scary, though," Dave agrees. "Ehm, next we moved to Cleveland. I finally told you that I love to write and you pushed me to get published. Then, we got married. On Valentine's Day." Dave can't hide his smile. Being married to Kurt is equally scary and exciting. "And my dad..." Dave falls silent.

Kurt reaches for Dave's hand. "I'm so sorry."

"He's really dead. Oh, God." Dave can't hold it in anymore and breaks down crying.

"Oh, Sweetie." Kurt climbs onto the bed and pulls Dave tightly against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

"Kurt..."

"I'm here."

"I don't know if I can do this," Dave admits between sobs.

"I know you, David, and I know that you can do this. You're not alone; I'll be here every step of the way." Kurt strokes Dave's arms soothingly.

"But I'm not the David you love." Apparently, Dave is incapable of keeping any secrets from Kurt.

"You are the David I love."

"No, I'm not. I'm not some confident 28-year-old writer. I'm this eighteen-year-old mess. How could you love this?"

Kurt takes a few seconds to formulate his response. "David, I need you to listen carefully. You need to remember what I'm going to tell you now; I need you to remember this better than any of the other stuff that I've told you. You may not remember our first date, our first apartment in Cleveland, or our wedding, but you are still _my_ David. Those memories aren't important. Well, they are important, but they're not the most important thing.

"What matters to me, more than any of the countless memories of us together, is you, David Karofsky. The David who enjoys football, but prefers hockey. The David who is never more vulnerable than when he puts his thoughts and feelings on paper. The David who has always been a surprisingly good cook.

"And, most importantly, you were the first friend I ever had."

"What?" Dave asks.

Kurt laughs. "You don't know anymore? We used to be friends in preschool."

"I don't..." Suddenly Dave does remember. "We used to have tea parties!"

"Yes. You were the clumsy kid that no one wanted to play with, and I was so shy back then. Everyone had already found friends except for us. You looked sad, so I asked you if you wanted to have tea with me."

"I helped you with the weddings you planned for your Power Rangers." Dave's smiling again. He doesn't remember anything about the last ten years, but this little thing is almost just as good.

"And I played the princess that needed to be saved by the handsome prince from the dragon."

"I think you saved me from the dragon more times than I saved you."

"Hey, I might have been a princess but that didn't mean I was incapable of kicking some dragon's ass." Kurt giggles.

"God, how could I not remember that that was you?"

"I didn't remember it was you, either. My dad told us after we started dating," Kurt explains. "You don't happen to remember anything to do with Batman and the pink Power Ranger?"

Dave thinks hard; it does ring a bell, but Dave has some trouble remembering exactly what they mean. "Oh God, we got married!"

"Yes! We had a wedding as kids. Batman was your best man."

"And the pink Power Ranger was yours." Dave's laughing along with Kurt now. "Your owl plushie was supposed to perform the ceremony, but your mom was washing him at the time."

"So, we asked my dad to marry us. There are pictures; my dad found them a few years ago, and he showed them at our 'proper' wedding. We were so incredibly cute back then."

"Oh, do you remember our honeymoon?"

"My mom took us to the movies and we shared our popcorn. I do believe it was the most romantic honeymoon anyone has ever had. Oh, I think I might have a picture of us back then on my phone!" Kurt gets his phone out and unlocks it. "You were so incredibly adorable back then. You'd even stolen one of your father's ties to dress up for the wedding." Kurt's scrolling through the pictures on his phone. "Ah! There it is! I had it as my background for a while but your cute face kept distracting me." Kurt hands his phone to Dave.

Dave looks at the picture with a big grin on his face. The younger version of himself has the same grin on his face. The tie he'd stolen from his father reaches his knees and he's holding Kurt's hand tightly. The little, cute, adorable Kurt is holding a few flowers they picked in the garden. Dave remembers Kurt's father had shown him how to tie his tie properly. He doesn't even realize he's crying until Kurt speaks up.

"Why are you crying?" Kurt asks.

"You gave me back a memory. It's not anything that happened in the last ten years, but it's something I thought I'd lost and now I remember. Thank you."

"You're going to get all your other memories back as well. I know you will."

Dave can't hold himself together anymore. All of it's just too much. He lets go. His body starts shaking with his sobs. Kurt, thankfully, grabs his phone before Dave drops it. Dave can't speak, and even if he could he wouldn't be able to explain why he's crying. He doesn't bother wiping the tears away; there are too many and they come too quickly. He feels the bed dip next to him and suddenly Kurt is sitting next to him. Kurt doesn't do or say anything; he just sits next to Dave. Dave lets himself lean on Kurt, his head falling on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt strokes his hair, whispering soothing words in his ear. They sit together until Dave falls asleep.

When Dave wakes up, Kurt isn't there. However, there is a note for him on the table by his bed. He feels a bit like a stalker when he immediately recognizes the handwriting as Kurt's, but then he remembers that he's now married to Kurt and it's actually a good thing that he recognizes it.

'_Good morning David,_

_'I hope you're feeling a bit better than you were last night. I'm sorry I'm not there with you right now, but the substitute teacher has fallen ill and I need to work. I'll call you around noon to check in. I left your phone on the night stand. I suggest not picking it up if someone else calls, especially Jane, your editor; she's crazy enough when you're healthy but now she's gone absolutely insane. I made the mistake of answering her call yesterday after you fell asleep, and I lost two hours of my evening._

_'I don't know why I'm telling you this; it's probably because I don't want to leave you alone. Anyway, if you need to contact me, my number's in your phone under Princess Hummel. Santana changed it a few months ago when she was staying at our place and you liked it too much to change it back._

_'Doctor Yancy told me you have an appointment with the physical therapist this morning. Good luck! I'll talk to you later._

_Kurt.'_

Dave is so happy to finally get out of the hospital bed. It's strange to walk around again, and the cast on his leg didn't make it any easier. His therapist is very impressed with him, though; it won't take Dave long to get all his strength back. As soon as he gets the cast off, that is. For the next two weeks, he'll have to maneuver around the cast.

Kurt's call comes a few minutes past twelve. Kurt's voice warms Dave from the inside as soon as he hears it.

"Hey," Dave greets. "How's your day?"

"Good. The kids are a handful with Christmas coming up in three weeks, but I'm thankful for the distraction," Kurt answers. "How was therapy?"

"He was very impressed. I should have very little problems with getting my strength back as soon as I get this damn cast off."

"You did go for a run every day. Usually at a horribly early hour. I'm glad it paid off in something other than me locking you out of the house."

"Did I wake you up often?"

"Yes!" Kurt answers with a laugh.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I usually lock you out of the house when you do that. It's the perfect revenge. Especially if you're outside the window, looking like a hurt puppy and I'm eating my breakfast in front of you and I can just see how hungry you are in your eyes. It's amazing."

"Wow, you can be quite mean," Dave jokes.

"I am the gateway through which evil enters the world."

"I have no trouble believing you." It's surprisingly easy to talk to Kurt. "Tell me a bit about your kids."

"Oh, they're brilliant. They made cards for you yesterday with the substitute; I'll bring them over after work. There are these two boys, twins, and they are just going completely mental over the fact that Santa's coming soon. They keep rattling off their wish-lists.

"And Annie! She's always making up these little songs about everything she does. Then there's Michael, he has this Spider-man doll that he takes with him wherever he goes." Kurt talks about all the kids in his class for at least fifteen minutes while Dave listens intently.

"Hey, David, I love talking to you," Kurt says, "and I'd love to talk to you some more, but I have some parents coming in in a few minutes, so I have to hang up."

"Will you be done soon?" Dave doesn't like how desperate he sounds.

"I'll be there in a few hours. I'll bring us something to eat from our favorite coffee place. You up for some cheese cake?"

"I'm always up for cheese cake."

"Great. I lo... I'll see you in a few hours."

"Yeah... bye."

Dave isn't an idiot; he knows what Kurt wanted to say. It is probably routine by now for Kurt to tell Dave he loves him. As much as the thought that Kurt loves makes Dave happy, he's happy that Kurt corrected himself. It's still a bit too much to deal with at the moment.

There isn't really anything for Dave to do while he waits for Kurt to come over. He decides to watch some TV, but quickly finds out that daytime television still sucks. It does break the silence that hangs in the hospital, so Dave leaves it on. He lets his mind wander.

Kurt told him he's a writer. Dave wonders what the books he's published are about. He'll have to ask Kurt to bring them over so he can read them. He laughs at that thought; he's probably the only writer who'll have a chance to read his own books without knowing what will happen in them. He fills his mind with memories of characters and worlds he's created over the years and wonders if any of them have made it into his books. Time seems to go a lot faster now that Dave has found something to occupy his mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kurt says as he enters the room.

"Oh, you're here already."

"I didn't disturb any big important thought process, did I? I could leave and come back later," Kurt says it like he's said something similar to it many times before.

"It wasn't important. I'm glad you're here."

"I brought cheese cake." Holds up a bag.

"You'd better come over here right now with that cheese cake."

"What if I decide I'd rather not share?" Kurt jokes as he takes a step away from Dave. "I can easily outrun you now. There is nothing you can do to stop me from running away."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Kurt asks.

"But..." Dave puts on his best hurt-puppy-face. "Why would you take it away from me? Haven't I been a good boy?"

"Aw..." Kurt looks at Dave the same way someone would look at a puppy or a cute baby. "Sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but that face hasn't worked on me in years."

"Well, fuck."

"But I'll share this cheese cake with you anyway because I'm just such a nice person." Kurt sits down next to Dave.

"Thank you. You're a saint," Dave compliments.

"I know." Kurt gets the cheese cake out of the bag and hand Dave a fork.

"Modest, too."

"I'm perfect; you'd better get used to it," Kurt jokes before starting on the cheesecake. "I hope you don't mind eating from the same piece; I can't be bothered to split it."

"It's okay." Dave takes a small bite of the cheese cake; he doesn't want to disgust Kurt by taking an enormous bite, no matter how tempting it is. When he tastes the delicious treat, however, all thoughts of controlling himself are thrown out of the window. "Wow! That's heavenly." Dave takes another bite, bigger this time.

"Hey, leave some for me!" Kurt chastises him playfully.

"If you want some you should eat faster." Dave makes his point by taking an even bigger bite of the cheese cake.

Kurt and Dave finish the cheese cake in record time. When there's just one bite left they stare at each other for a bit, trying to decide who gets the last piece. Suddenly they both reach for it; Dave is a second faster than Kurt and grins while he enjoys the last piece.

Kurt glares at Dave when he notices there's a bit of cheese cake on the corner of his mouth. Without thinking about it Kurt leans in and licks it away. It isn't until Kurt feels Dave go rigid against him that he notices his mistake. He quickly puts some distance between them, apologizing profusely. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. I'm used to being a certain way around you. Sorry!"

Dave is bright red and refuses to meet Kurt's eyes. He's suddenly very aware of the intimacy he used to share with Kurt. They're married, so Dave feels safe to say they've slept together. Kurt is used to kissing him, licking food off of him and probably so many other things that Dave can't remember. "I..." Dave begins. "I don't... I've never. Well, I probably have but I don't remember."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so used to being close to you. It's difficult remembering that you're not used to that. I can't promise I won't screw up again, but I can promise that I'll try my hardest to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Kurt... we've had sex, right?" Dave wants to hit himself for asking a question like that.

"Yes, of cou..." Suddenly things connect in Kurt's brain. "Oh, God, you're a virgin."

"I... I guess not technically, but I can't remember ever having... you know."

"I hadn't thought about that," Kurt admits. "This... eh... okay, I think we can agree that this is very awkward now."

"Yeah." Dave laughs.

"Okay, eh... I don't really know what to say here, David."

"Neither do I. Can we just pretend we never had this conversation and move on?" Dave asks hopefully.

"We can't ignore this forever, but I guess we can let it go for now," Kurt answers.

"Thanks."

"So, anything else you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you something," Dave says. "I was wondering if you could maybe bring my books with you next time you visit. It's kind of boring being in this bed all day without anything to do and I don't remember what my own books are about, so I thought it might be a good idea to read them."

"I have one with me right now; you could keep it here for tonight." Kurt reaches into his bag and takes out a battered-looking book. "This is your first book. You told me you wrote it during your senior year of high school about us. I never leave home without it. Our friends laugh at me for it, but I like having a piece of you with me at all times."

Dave takes the book from Kurt; he's barely able to stop his hands from shaking. He knows exactly what story is in that book, even if he doesn't know the end yet. "_I Found The Entire Universe In Your Eyes_," Dave reads. "God, I never thought of a better title?"

"You did, after the book was published, but I like it. I'm glad you didn't change it." Kurt absentmindedly strokes the book in Dave's hand.

"Are you sure you're okay with leaving it here for the night?" Dave asks.

"Yeah, I'll bring you a different copy tomorrow and I can keep this one with me again," Kurt explains. "Dad should arrive at our house sometime tonight so I can't stay too long; he doesn't have a key."

"That's okay. I've got something to keep me busy."

"Eh, I need to ask you something, and I need you to know it's okay to say no."

"Okay."

"Dad, he..." Kurt bites his lower lip. "I don't know how to phrase this. You're like a son to him and he's been so worried about you. He'd really like to visit you tomorrow. I know you don't really know him, so I wanted to ask you if it's okay with you."

This is something Dave needs to think about for a bit. He's not sure he's ready to have Kurt's dad, his father-in-law, come over so soon after hearing he will never see his own father again. On the other hand, it might help. He really wants his dad, or some father figure, right now and if Burt thinks of him as a son, it could help him. "Will you be there as well?" Dave asks.

"If you want me to."

"I want you there."

"Okay, that's good. I'll tell dad tonight," Kurt says. "Santana has also been pestering me about visiting all day. What should I tell her?"

Dave perks up at that. He knows Santana, and with her he doesn't feel the need to keep a strong mask on. "I'd really like to see her," he says.

"Good, I don't think I would have survived otherwise," Kurt jokes. "She's hardly changed in ten years. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing."

Kurt and Dave talk a bit longer. It's not about anything particularly meaningful. Dave asks Kurt about his day. They talk a bit about Dave's recovery. Before long it's time for Kurt to leave. Kurt promises to come by the next morning before work with Dave's books.

When Dave is alone, he grabs the book he'd placed on the night stand. It's weird seeing his name printed on the cover. He runs his finger over the embossed letters. This is his story. He wrote this in high school and now Kurt has it in his bag every single day of the year. The wear and tear is clearly visible on the book. Dave simply holds the book for some time, letting the reality of it all sink in.

When he finally opens the book to the first page he sees his own handwriting under the dedication that simply reads 'For K.H.'

_'According to you, this is just the first of many books I will sign. I don't know if I believe you, but I certainly hope so. I love you; don't ever forget that. Your Dave.'_

The words tug at his heart. Kurt hadn't forgotten, but he had.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **We'll rebuild our world.  
><strong>Author: <strong>J.J. Smith (pirateof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Beta: <strong>my lovely Dalek sister (residentof221b on Tumblr)  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Pairing: <strong>Kurtofsky  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Romance (and a bit of angst)  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>Season 3 up to OMW  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Not mine, or Glee would have more continuity and a lot more Dave.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_"What's the last thing you remember?"  
>"I remember I left Breadstix after you told me you just wanted to be friends."<em>  
><strong>AN:** I'm so happy to read people are enjoying this! I've always been a sucker for stories with amnesia but I didn't think other people enjoyed them too. (I'm completely hooked on the Kurbastian one, Don't You Remember, if you haven't read that yet, you really should.) Just one more thing before I let you read the new chapter, I have no medical knowledge and I haven't done any research into amnesia for this fic. I know how I want this to work out, but I don't know if it's realistic. So, this is a work of fiction, medical accuracy has no place here.

**Chapter 3**

When Kurt comes home, he's glad to see his father hasn't arrived yet; the place is a mess. He's only spent a small amount of time in the house the past two months and he hardly spent any of that time cleaning. He moves quickly through the house, throwing dirty clothes in a hamper and throwing out empty take-out cartons. Kurt is almost ashamed to see that, even though the trashcan is filled with tissues, there are still tissues all over the house. He's really been crying a lot over David. Kurt is throwing out the last of the tissues when he hears a car pull up in the driveway. He runs to the door. Burt is barely out of the car when Kurt is hanging around his neck. Kurt usually feels younger when his dad is around, but today he feels like the scared teenager who didn't have anyone except his father. He's scared, so incredibly scared of everything that's happening. He's got his husband back, but it's not really him. Apart from the fear, he feels blessed for this second chance. He's sobbing several varieties of 'he's alive', 'he doesn't remember' and 'I'm so scared' into his father's chest.

Burt holds his son close. "It's going to be all right. I promise." Burt's rubbing Kurt's back in comforting circles.

"I don't know what to do," Kurt admits.

"You're strong, kid. You'll be okay," Burt says.

"He's alive, dad. He's really alive; he's not breathing because of a machine. He's sitting and moving and talking. He's alive."

Burt simply holds his son. Kurt needs someone who listens now, and he can give him that.

"I'm just so thankful he's alive, but I'm also angry that he doesn't remember, and that makes me feel so guilty." Kurt had never been one for religion; it had taken Dave weeks to get Kurt to agree to get married in a church, but in this moment he felt like he understood why people confessed their sins to a god. The second the words had left his mouth he'd felt so much lighter. He steps away from his dad, wipes his tears away and even manages to smile again. "We should probably get inside; it's cold out here."

Kurt grabs his father's bags and leads the older man inside. He updates Burt on Dave's condition and Burt, in return, tells Kurt how things are back home in Lima.

"What do you want to eat?" Kurt asks. "I don't have any groceries, so we'll have to order in."

"Carole made me take leftovers with me; she figured you've been living off takeover for the last months."

"That's not true," Kurt defends himself. "I also ate in the hospital cafeteria a lot."

"And we both know hospital food is so great," Burt says. "If you heat up the casserole, I'll put my stuff in the guest room."

"Okay." Kurt sends Santana a quick text after he puts the casserole in the microwave.

_'David said he'd love for you to visit him. Be gentle with him; he's in a fragile state.'_

Santana's response comes a minute later.

_'Aren't I always gentle? How are you doing? I know this must be hard on you; if you need to talk, just give me a call.'_

Kurt smiles a bit at that. Santana is much closer to Dave than she is to him, but he knows he can always count on her.

_'Thanks, I might take you up on that later. Dad just arrived, so I'm good for now. Send my love to Quinn and little James.'_

Kurt calls his dad down when the casserole is ready for eating. Conversation during dinner is easy and, for the first time in two months, Kurt feels like his life will be normal again one day.

The following morning, Kurt gets up early to visit Dave before work. His father is already in the kitchen, reading the newspaper while drinking coffee.

"Don't worry; it's decaf," Burt says before Kurt can complain.

"I'm going to visit David soon. Do you want to come with me, or do you want to wait until the afternoon?" Kurt asks.

"Now's fine," Burt answers over his paper. "Can I get you some coffee?"

"I don't drink decaf," Kurt replies. "I'll get some at the coffee stall outside the hospital. I just need to get some books, and then we can go as soon as you're ready." Kurt grabs an apple before going to the basement. He doesn't go down there often; it's Dave's place. It takes Kurt a few minutes to find Dave's books amongst all the other books. When he gets back upstairs, his father is already waiting by the door.

"You look nervous," Burt notes.

"I am nervous," Kurt admits. "I'm not sure how Dave'll take you being there. He is trying to deal with the death of Paul."

"He doesn't remember Paul's death," Burt states as he lets the reality of that statement sink in.

"I can't imagine how hard this must be for him."

"He's strong, I'm sure he'll be fine," Burt comforts his son.

"I know. I just wish I could do more for him."

The ride to the hospital is silent. Kurt knows the way well by now. When they arrive, Kurt is greeted heartily by the nurses. He isn't surprised to see that Dave's already awake and reading his book.

"Morning," Kurt greets him. "Enjoying the book?"

It takes Dave a few seconds to come back to the real world. "Hey." He still sounds a bit dazed when he greets Kurt.

"Please tell me you didn't spend the entire night reading."

"No, I slept for seven hours." Dave puts the book down.

"My dad came with me; is that okay?" Kurt asks a bit hesitantly.

"Sure."

Kurt gestures his father inside.

"Hey, kid," Burt says. "It's good to see you sitting up."

"Hello, Mr Hummel."

"Please call me Burt, Dave."

"I'll try," Dave says.

An uncomfortable silence settles over the room. Kurt tries to break the silence. "I brought your books." Kurt gets the books out of his bag and hands them to Dave. He puts his own copy back in the bag. It shouldn't feel like a big deal, but Kurt's happy to have it back.

"Thanks." Dave eagerly starts looking through the volumes. "He looks familiar." Dave hands Kurt one of the books, _The Space Between The Boxes_.

"Yeah, that's Sebastian." Kurt explains. "You've probably seen him in Scandals; he was quite the regular. You lost a bet to him and you had to put him on the cover instead of a professional model."

"Are we friends with him?" Dave asks.

"Yeah. We don't see him often, though; he's a big shot lawyer in New York. He's no longer the promiscuous meerkat he was in high school; he got engaged six months ago."

"To Blaine?"

"Oh, no." Kurt laughs as he remembers how obsessed Sebastian had been with Blaine in High School all too clearly. "Blaine's chronically single. He's shooting a TV show in Canada. Bas found a very sweet guy a few years ago. His name's Greg and he owns a comic book shop."

"Blaine's single? I always thought he'd be a real family man."

"He's very busy with his life as an actor. He does want at least four kids, but he has yet to find a man and hold on to him."

"Is he still tiny?"

"Yes," Kurt laughs.

"How's Santana doing?"

"I think she'd rather tell you herself. She'll probably come by later today." Kurt looks down at his watch. "Shit, I should really get to school." Kurt looks as his father; the man hasn't had a chance to talk to Dave yet, but Dave wanted Kurt to stay when he talked to Burt.

"Mr... Burt, could you stay?" Dave asks.

"Yes."

Kurt is glad that Dave resolved the issue before he has to bring it up. "I'll see you both this afternoon," Kurt says before leaving them.

Time at school passes quickly. The children get in a heated debate when it's revealed that one girl saw Santa in the mall on the same day that another girl saw him in the library. Kurt settles the argument by telling them that Santa is magical and can be in more places at once. Kurt really loves Christmas, but he can't wait for it to pass; it drives the children insane.

At lunchtime, several of his colleagues ask Kurt about Dave. He tells them that there's no change since yesterday and that he's allowed to take Dave home the next day if everything's still okay tomorrow.

Kurt rushes back to the hospital as soon as he's finished with work. When he enters Dave's room at the hospital, he finds his husband reading. For a second, his life feels normal again. He's walked in on Dave reading so often, and he's completely invisible to Dave, just like it used to be. Kurt takes some time to just observe; he loves the way Dave looks when he's reading. After ten minutes, he can't keep quiet any longer.

"Hey, you," Kurt says, slightly louder than normal.

Dave needs a few seconds to shake away the trance he was in from reading. "Hey. You're done working already?"

"How long have you been reading?" Kurt asks, amused once again at how easy it is for Dave to lose track of time when he's reading.

Dave looks at the clock. "Eh... longer than I care to admit," he admits sheepishly.

"You can be so cute sometimes," Kurt says.

Dave blushes a bit and puts his book down.

"How was your talk with my dad?"

Dave looks happy with the change of subject. "Your dad's the best."

"I'm blessed with a great family."

"Apparently, they're now my family as well," Dave says.

"Yeah. Don't be fooled; it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Christmas can be absolutely horrible, which is why we always celebrate it early with just the two of us."

"Really?" Dave looks confused.

"We always go to Lima to celebrate Christmas with my parents, Finn, Rachel, their two daughters and Rachel's parents."

"I thought they were Jewish," Dave remarks.

"They are, but they can appreciate the drama that happens at our family dinners." Kurt explains. "We celebrate a few days early by ourselves. You drag me out to pick out a tree as soon as you've found a place that sells them. We cook a fancy dinner together and eat it by the light of the tree. Then, we exchange presents. And then we make love under the..." Kurt's voice fades. "Eh..."

Dave had been listening intently up until that moment. He turns his gaze away from Kurt and coughs a few times, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Listen, I'm not expecting anything like... _that_. I know that this is a touchy subject, but it's one we can't avoid forever. We've had sex. A lot."

"Am I good?" Dave asks, the insecure teenager surfacing again.

"You are amazing," Kurt says. "You make me feel better than anyone ever has." Kurt wonders how far he can push this subject. "You're also the biggest I've ever had."

Dave coughs loudly, his ears bright red.

Kurt lets out a little laugh. "I'm sorry; I'd say I didn't mean to embarrass you, but I did. You're so cute when you blush."

"Am I really?" Dave asks, hesitant.

"What? The best or the biggest?"

"Both."

"You really are."

"Boys, keep it PG, I've got a baby with me," Santana says.

Kurt jumps up from his chair next to Dave's bed and rushes over to Santana, or rather the little baby she has with her in a stroller. "Hello, James."

"Hello, Kurt. I'm fine, thanks for asking. You're always so considerate," Santana says.

"Oh, shut it. You know I love you." Kurt places a quick kiss on her cheek.

"That's enough smooching, princess. I'm here to see my man." Santana pushes Kurt to the side and sits down next to Dave's bed. "I'm really glad to see you've woken up."

"I'm glad to see you, San." Dave smiles warmly at Santana. "Is he yours?" He asks, pointing at James.

"Yes." Santana looks proudly at her son. "You're his godfather," she explains.

"So, who's the other parent?" Dave asks.

"Quinn Fabray. She's his biological mother, and I gave birth to him."

"Please tell me you didn't convince me to donate my sperm to you."

"Don't worry; we used an anonymous donor. You're safe," Santana assures him.

Kurt wants to give the two some time alone to catch up. "I was thinking of going down to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. I could take James with me."

"Okay," Santana says, waving Kurt off.

Kurt shoots a quick look at Dave. Dave nods at him with a smile. "Well, James, let's see if we can find some half decent food around here."

Kurt pushes the stroller out and he's surrounded by nurses doting over the little boy in no time. He has to inform them several times that "No, it's not my son", "No, I haven't been hiding him from you" and "No, I haven't been thinking about adopting". He loves the nurses, most of them, anyway, but after two months he's a little too familiar with them.

The food at the cafeteria is still abysmal, but it'll have to do for now. James starts fussing in his stroller when Kurt's halfway done with his mac and cheese. Kurt takes the little baby out of the stroller and puts him on his lap. He tries bouncing the baby on one knee while he finished eating, but it's not doing much.

"You're expecting me to sing for you, aren't you?" Kurt asks him. James looks up at Kurt expectantly, almost as if he understood the man. "You're going to start crying soon if I don't sing, aren't you?" As if on cue, James's lower lip begins trembling. Kurt has been around infants enough to know what will happen next. He softly starts singing an assortment of songs from _Wicked_, starting with _Dear Old Shiz_. James immediately starts smiling again; he even begins clapping his hands to show his approval.

Before long, Kurt's surrounded by children listening to him sing. He can see several adults looking in his direction, though they stay a respectable distance away from him. Kurt forgets all about his dinner – it's disgusting, anyway – and instead he pours his all into the songs. When he's made his way through all the songs and even manages to struggle through the duets on his own, James has fallen asleep. The kids look disappointed when Kurt puts James back in his stroller, but manage to stay silent as per Kurt's request.

On his way, out Kurt's stopped by a few adults who compliment him on his voice and ask him if he's ever considered singing professionally. One of them even offers to talk to their brother-in-law who works in the business. Kurt politely refuses and gives them the address of the bar he sometimes performs at.

Kurt reaches Dave's hospital room without James waking up. Kurt is just about to walk into the room when he hears Santana talking. He doesn't mean to spy on them, but he can't help himself.

"He won't leave you," Santana says. "I promise. That boy loves you too much to even consider such a thing."

"How can you be sure?" Dave's voice sounds tearful. It takes everything Kurt has not to run in there and comfort his husband. He knows Dave, and he knows that Dave won't talk to him about this; he needs Santana.

"I was there when you two became friends and when you two started dating. I was the first person you called after Kurt proposed to you. I was the best man at your wedding. I know the two of you like no one else. Now, you know me; I'm not a big fan of the fairy tale true love hype, but even I can see that you two are soulmates."

"What happens if I can't remember? What if I've tried everything and I still don't remember anything that happened between us? Kurt has been in this relationship for eight years while I'm just starting out. He knows all these little things about me while I know nothing about him. Sooner or later, he's going to grow tired of having to explain something to me and he'll leave me. I'm sure of it."

Kurt can't stay out of this conversation any longer. He opens the door and the first thing he sees is Santana hugging Dave. Dave's crying on Santana's shoulder and doesn't see him, but Santana does. Santana gestures for Kurt to come over. She doesn't say anything but lets Kurt take her place. She sneaks out quietly, leaving the two to deal with their problems on their own.

Dave tenses up for a few seconds when he feels Kurt's arms around him but quickly relaxes.

"David, I love you," Kurt comforts his husband. "This situation is far from ideal, but I know that we can get through this together. It won't be easy and we have to be honest with each other. That means you need to tell me when you're feeling those doubts even if you don't want to.

"I made a vow to stay with you until death and I will keep that. I'm not letting the best thing that happened to me go because life's become more difficult.

"I will never grow tired of telling you about us. I will answer any question you have. You will learn all my little quirks again if you give it some time.

"And if you never remember, we'll rebuild our world. We'll make new memories together. It won't all be good, but together we can face almost anything. And I swear that no matter what happens I will never leave you."

"How can you be so sure?" Dave asks.

"Because I love you," Kurt answers.

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is. For Valentine's day, you gave me a card every day, you dressed up as a gorilla, and you confessed your feelings. You must have been scared."

"I was terrified."

"And you still did it. Why?"

"Because I think I love you," Dave answered.

"See, love can make you do all these amazing things," Kurt says. "I'll do anything for the man I love."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** What's this… an update? Wow! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 4**

Dave is pretty excited about going to his house, but he's not comfortable with the idea of calling it his home yet. It'll be a relief to be away from the constant murmur of the nurses, patients and doctors; besides, the house might spark a memory or two. He knows Kurt has the same hope when the latter tells him not to be too disappointed if he doesn't suddenly remember anything. Still, his disappointment is mirrored in Kurt's face when he doesn't even vaguely recognize their house. The tour through their house is just as much of a disappointment as the first time he saw the house. Kurt tries to reason that the reason his house doesn't feel like his home might be because Kurt's the one who made most of the decorating choices.

It's not that he hates the house – in fact he thinks it looks amazing – but it just doesn't feel like his home. When they've toured the entire house, Kurt hesitates in front of one door. Dave thinks it leads to the basement, but he's not sure.

"This room, it's yours. I didn't have any say in decorating it. It's your study/library," Kurt says and Dave understands why he hesitated.

Kurt pushes the door open and lets Dave go in first. He doesn't have to search for the light switch; something tells him it's just around the corner. It must be routine for him, he thinks. Like with the rest of the house, there is no spark of recognition as Dave hobbles down the stairs on his crutches. Then, he enters the main part of the basement and something clicks. It's not a memory; it's a feeling. _This_ is home. The walls are lined with bookcases filled with books. The bookcases are apparently not enough for the number of volumes he owns, Dave notes, as he sees several piles of books on the floor, on desks, everywhere, really. The carpet is a dark red and he bets it would feel awesome under his naked feet. There's a big overstuffed chair in one corner with a lamp next to it. Dave imagines that that's where he does most of his reading. There are two desks, one is filled with books, papers and a typewriter, the other is home to a laptop that Dave concludes must be his. Even though Dave can't remember spending any time here, it's not at all hard to imagine it.

Kurt is a bit hesitant as he speaks up. "What do you think?" The question he really wants to ask goes unspoken but it's still very clear. _Do you remember?_

"It feels like home," Dave answers honestly. "I don't remember this place, but it feels right."

"Oh," The disappointment is clear in Kurt's voice. "Well, I'm glad it feels right. You spent a lot of time down here."

Dave has to swallow away the tears that nearly threaten to fall. He hates disappointing Kurt so much. He looks around the room, hoping that something will spark a memory. There has to be something. It doesn't even have to be big or anything, just something to show Kurt that he's not completely defective. His eye lands on a picture on one of the desks. It's him and Kurt dressed up all fancy in suits looking at each other lovingly. He goes to pick up the picture and looks at it a bit longer. It's like there's something in his head that's trying to get out. He tries to focus on that feeling, hoping it's a memory, but he comes up empty.

"Was this taken at our wedding?" he asks Kurt.

"Yeah." Kurt walks up next to him and looks at the picture as well. "You told me you keep it on your desk because the way I smile inspires you."

Dave can't argue with that. There is something about the look on Kurt's face, so full of love, happiness, and affection that makes him go weak in the knees when he remembers that Kurt's looking that way because of him.

"_Are you happy?"_

"_I just married the man of my dreams, how could I not be happy?"_

"David? Are you okay?" Kurt sounds concerned.

"I... I think I just remembered something," Dave says. He tries to make his mind go back but he can't.

"Really?" Kurt's eyes grow twice their normal size. "What?"

"It's not much. You were asking me if I was happy." Dave tries to replay the memory, but there isn't much more. It's all blurry, their voices the only thing that got through the mist. "And I said that I just married the man of my dreams."

"Oh, David!" Kurt hugs him tightly. "That's amazing!"

"It's not much. I don't really remember anything other than our voices."

"That doesn't matter; it's something," Kurt says. "It's a start."

When Dave and Kurt head to bed that night, Dave in the master bedroom, while Kurt stays in the guest room that's now empty since his father had to head back to Lima, they're both hopeful.

Breakfast is pretty awkward. Kurt had automatically leaned in to kiss Dave good morning and only just barely managed to stop himself. "Eh... sleep well?" he asks.

"Yeah. You?" Dave can't manage a more eloquent response. He's still pretty shocked by what just happened. He's not alarmed that Kurt nearly kissed him; it's the fact that it came so natural to Kurt to kiss him. It makes it so clear, once again, to Dave that Kurt has been in this relationship so much longer than he has.

"So, I need to make a lesson plan for next week, but I don't really have anything else to do this weekend," Kurt says as he pours himself some coffee. "Is there anything you want to do?"

"I don't know. I'm not really mobile right now." Dave pats his cast. "I'm up for anything, really."

Kurt looks like he's thinking really hard while drinking his coffee. Dave takes the time to look him over properly. He's wearing sweatpants and a too big shirt that might actually be Dave's. Dave warms at the thought of Kurt wearing one of his shirts but he's too afraid to ask him directly.

"Wait! The last thing you remember is in 2012, right?" Kurt nearly yells.

"Eh, yeah. Why?" Dave doesn't understand Kurt's excitement.

"Well, one of the things we bonded over was our love for handsome British guys solving crimes and being completely _heterosexual_." The emphasis on the last word makes it clear for Dave just what Kurt is talking about.

"Are you talking about Sherlock?" he asks, just to be sure.

"We have season 3 on DVD." Kurt smiles. "Would you be interested in finding exactly how Sherlock survived The Fall?"

"Yes!" Dave answers.

"I think this will be a perfect weekend."

The weekend is as close to perfect as you can get. Dave feels so relaxed and at ease cuddling up to Kurt while catching up on his favorite series. Watching TV with Kurt doesn't bring back any memories, but he hadn't expected it to. It does teach him a lot of little things about Kurt. He now knows that Kurt prefers salty popcorn over any other. He knows that Kurt's feet get cold very quickly, and that Kurt can fall asleep very easily when using his chest for a pillow. He knows that Kurt twirls his wedding ring when something emotional happens on the screen and that he hums along to the Doctor Who opening, just like Dave likes to do. The most important thing he now knows is that Kurt is a bit of a nerd, just like him, and he likes that.

It had always worried him that he would never be able to find a guy, especially not someone like Kurt, because he wasn't into fashion and musicals, and it's so refreshing to see that Kurt likes some of the things he likes as well. They order pizza on Saturday night, which is another thing that surprises Dave. He's always thought Kurt only ate healthy shit like salads and stuff. Kurt is happy to correct him and explain that although he enjoys eating healthy, pizza is one of his favorite things to eat.

Dave keeps being surprised by how well he and Kurt fit together. They laugh at the same jokes and cry at the same scenes. They fit together physically as well. Kurt is so comfortable with Dave's arm over his shoulders, and Dave loves how Kurt molds against his side.

When Monday comes around, Kurt doesn't want to leave for work. Dave assures him that he'll be fine; he's going to go through old pictures and look around his office some more. He doesn't need constant supervision. He walks Kurt to the door and Kurt tells him, not for the first time that day, that Dave can call him at any time if he needs him and he'll come home. Dave assures Kurt that he'll be fine; he has the mind of a teenager, not a baby. When Kurt's gone, the house feels so empty.

Dave wishes he didn't have the stupid cast on his leg so he could move more freely around the house. Kurt told him where their picture albums were, but Dave isn't interested in those right now. He _is_ interested in the pictures they have hanging around the house.

There are a lot of picture with him and Kurt together. They seem to be taken all over the world: Paris, London, and Moscow are three places he immediately recognizes. He recognizes most people in the pictures. Blaine is hard to miss, there's that Sebastian who is on the cover of one of his books, of course he recognizes both Burt and his own father, and there are several pictures of them with Finn and Rachel. Unfortunately, none of the pictures trigger anything in him; the only thing he feels is an intense sadness when looking at the picture of his father, knowing he will never see the man again.

Around lunchtime, Dave makes himself a sandwich and takes it downstairs to his office. He eats his lunch in the comfortable chair. Everything feels so right when he's down there, but there still isn't a spark. It's so frustrating. All he remembers is those two little sentences and it isn't nearly enough.

The rest of the week passes much the same. Dave goes through old pictures and notes in his study, hoping to remember something and always comes up empty.

On Friday evening, he can't stand not knowing anything anymore and he decides to ask some of the most pressing questions, no matter how embarrassing.

"I wondered if you're up for answering some questions I had," Dave asks.

"Sure, anytime," Kurt answers.

"I understand if you don't want to answer, but I had some questions about..." Dave nearly whispers the next words. "My sex life."

"Oh." Kurt sits up a bit straighter at that. "Okay, ask away."

"I just... God, this is hard." Dave sighs.

Kurt snorts. "Sorry, I didn't... ignore me."

Dave blushes as he notices what he's just said. "I just want to know if you're the only guy I've ever... you know..."

"Yes. I'm the only guy you've had sex with," Kurt answers.

Dave is relieved. "So... how old was I when I lost my virginity?"

"Twenty. We'd been dating for a few weeks. We'd talked about it a lot, and we were both ready."

"Okay." Dave's trying to keep his breathing under control and not freak out completely. "Thanks for answering."

"Of course, I can't imagine what it must be like not to know these things. If there's anything I can do to make it even slightly better for you, I'll do it. Even if it means answering questions like these."

"So, this is as awkward for you as it is for me?"

"Definitely." Kurt laughs. "I keep remembering that in your mind you're only 18 and I feel like such a pervert for talking about those things."

"There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about," Dave says.

"Okay."

"Eh... I found these folders in the bedroom on funeral homes." Dave carefully chooses his words. "Were you planning my funeral?"

The atmosphere in the kitchen shifts from awkward to horribly depressing in a second. Kurt's shoulders drop and he lets out a heavy sigh. When he looks up at Dave, he suddenly seems at least a decade older. Dave regrets asking the question but before he can retract it, Kurt's answering.

"I didn't want to, but I'm not an idiot. I knew that you would probably not leave the hospital alive. I also knew that I wouldn't be able to plan your..." he whispers the next word, "funeral when you were really dead. It was easier to do when it was just a possibility."

"I'm sorry," Dave says.

"It's not your fault," Kurt says as he wipes away the tears from his eyes.

"I brought it up; that's my fault. I'm so sorry I asked."

"No, please don't be. You... God, David, I came so close to losing you." Kurt is no longer just crying, he's full-on sobbing. His shoulders are shaking, and his breathing is uneven.

Dave doesn't have to think about what to do; it's natural, routine even, maybe. He gets off his chair and in no time he's on his knees in front of Kurt. He ignores how uncomfortable the position is with his cast on as he puts his hands gently on Kurt's knees. He looks up at Kurt and tries to sound as comforting as possible. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here right now, with you, and I'm awake, I'm alive, and I'm not going anywhere."

Kurt doesn't answer.

"Kurt, it's all going to be alright. I promise." It's the first time that Dave has to reassure Kurt that everything will be okay. Over the past week, he's heard those words countless times when he told Kurt that he hadn't remembered anything, and now he's telling Kurt.

"I know." Kurt sobs. "I'm so glad you're here. I can't bury you, not now, not ever."

Dave doesn't know how to respond. He can't promise Kurt that he won't die before him; he has no power over that. Luckily; Kurt doesn't expect an answer.

"I love you," Kurt says, finally meeting Dave's eyes. "I love you so much."

"I think I might love you as well," Dave responds. It's too early to say those words with complete certainty; he doesn't know Kurt well enough.

"Oh, God, your leg! It must hurt." Kurt frantically helps Dave up from his kneeling position and tells him to sit on the chair. "Are you in pain?"

"No, I'm fine," Dave assures Kurt. "You look like you need a hug." He opens his arms, and Kurt gladly accepts the invitation. Kurt sits down sideways on Dave's lap and clings to him like Dave's the only thing that's keeping him grounded. Dave wraps Kurt tightly in his arms and lets the man sob into his chest. He whispers comforting words in his ear and rubs gentle circles on his back. The small kitchen chair isn't the most comfortable place, but Dave doesn't have the heart to ask Kurt to move. Dave doesn't know how much time passes before Kurt stops crying, but it's even longer before he finally speaks up.

"I'm sorry; I've cried all over your shirt," Kurt says as he sits upright.

"It's okay. I'll put on a clean one."

"Thank you for... that. I needed a good cry." Kurt wipes the tears away with his sleeve.

"Anytime. I quite like having you on my lap," Dave says.

"Good, because it's one of my favorite places to be." Kurt smiles at Dave and it's like the entire world lights up.

"Kiss me," Dave says before he even has time to process the thought.

Kurt doesn't hesitate. He closes the distance between them and presses his lips to Dave's.

"_I now pronounce you married. You may kiss." There's light, a lot of light. They're outside somewhere. There are people around them, but they're all a blur. All Dave sees is Kurt, his husband, standing in front of him. Then they're kissing. The crowd is cheering. He hears someone, Finn, maybe, commenting on how they should get a room, but he couldn't care less. He's kissing his husband for the first time; the world could explode and he wouldn't care; this moment is too perfect._

"David, are you okay?" Kurt's voice breaks through the haze and suddenly Dave's back in the kitchen. "You're all tense, was that too soon?"

Dave takes a moment to clear his mind and process what had just happened. A memory. A wonderful memory. "I remembered," Dave says.

Kurt looks at him with wide eyes. "What did you remember?"

"I remember our first kiss after we got married. Finn, or at least I think it was Finn, told us to get a room."

Kurt's laughing; the sound is one of the most amazing sounds Dave has ever heard. It's so carefree and happy that Dave can't help but laugh along with him.

"This is amazing," Kurt says. "I love you so much."

Dave presses a soft kiss to Kurt's lips and pats his leg. "As wonderful as this moment is, I really want to put on a clean shirt, and I'm getting hungry."

"I'll get started on dinner after I clean up a bit," Kurt says.

"You don't have to; I can cook," Dave responds.

"You've been cooking all week. Let me cook tonight."

They keep the talk over dinner lighthearted. Kurt talks about his class, and Dave is happy to listen. They do the dishes together. Dave washes while Kurt dries.

"So, Christmas is coming up," Kurt starts. "Dad and Carole invited us over, like every year. Do you want to go? It's okay if you don't."

"I want to go," Dave replies instantly.

"Really? You don't have to do this for me. If it's too much, I completely understand."

"I really want to go. Who knows, I might get a few more memories back."

"Yeah, maybe." Kurt sounds hopeful. "I'll call Carole and tell her we're coming."

"We don't have a Christmas tree yet," Dave says. "I know you haven't been feeling very festive lately, but I was thinking that we could go out and buy one, maybe."

"I'd love that," Kurt answers with a smile.


End file.
